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The explosion that killed a man in Hanoi on Friday was caused by a home-made bomb, police said today.

The city police, who have cordoned off Thong Phong Alley for investigation, said the bomb might have been planned to go off at the house No. 23 at dinner time to cause heavy casualty.

Three people were in the house when the bomb exploded at 6.50 pm. One of them, Pham Thi Phuong, 38, who was in the kitchen on the first floor, suffered multiple injuries but doctors at Xanh Pon Hospital said her condition is stable.

The two others, who were Phuong's parents, on the second floor were unharmed but shocked.

The blast threw a passer-by into a bamboo grove about 5 meters away. The man, identified as Nguyen Dong Dang, 60, died immediately.

Another man, Nguyen Anh Lam, 19, who was riding near the house, had an arm injury.

"I just passed that house when suddenly I was thrown off my bike after a big explosion," he said. "It was chaotic, smoke was everywhere, my clothes were torn off."

A photo taken on the first floor of house No. 23, Thong Phong Alley, this morning

The police said a family of six live in the house. The three people who were not at home at the time of the explosion were Phuong's brother Pham Gia Hai, 43, his wife Le Thai Ha.

Phuong's mother Le Thi Thinh said after the blast, she and her husband went down to the first floor and saw Phuong's face covered in blood.

Ha said she was taking her son home from school at that time.

The police suspected that the bombing might be an act of revenge against a family member.

Neighbors said they saw two strangers in front of the house a few minutes before the bomb went off.